Who am I? or About Me
Hello! My name is Sam Huynh Le, I am Vietnamese American. I’m currently in my 3rd year at the University of Washington, double majoring in Sociology and Anthropology focusing on Medicine and Global Health. I’m currently a Program Intern for Academic Support Programs and the Community Outreach Chair for Asian Coalition for Equality at UW. Also, I just had been elected as the Community Co-Chair for the Southeast Asian Advisory Committee at UW, working closing with the Office of Minority Affairs & Diversity! On top of all that, I am also active in the Asian Pacific Islander community throughout Washington State, being a part of the Asian Pacific Islander Coalition, the Coalition of Immigrants, Refugees, and Communities of Color, and the Southeast Asian Education Coalition.
There are four key core values that really influence my decisions and my perspectives on leadership. I value having a vision, being devout to my passions, building trust, and looking at challenges through a crafty approach. These four values are very important as they have always guided my journey, especially my resiliency to failure. Having a vision has always pushed me to understanding what steps I need to achieve the role I always envisioned myself to be at. Yet, just having a vision alone does no justice, hence my value in being devout. Devoting my efforts and strives towards my passion and goal has been the backbone of my journey. Furthermore, building trust has been keen to my goal of becoming a community leader as trusting is the ingredient that allowed me to be where I am today. Lastly, there has been only few instances where I have taken the same approach to issues. It's not a matter of fixing what isn't broken, but adding a twist and more flavor!
Throughout the site, you’ll observe the different leadership identities I have and still take on. Being an API Legislative Advocate, a Higher Education Leader & Mentor, Public Education Lobbyist, and a Rising Community Leader all have really impacted my development as a leader, each providing a new take on the role of leader and each providing unique experiences to learn from.
“Why” do I do what I do?
All the work I do stems to the gratifying urge to make passions and goals into reality. The thought of making the abstract into concrete, imagination to reality, and fiction to fact, pushes me to not only make my passions and goals into reality, but also those of the ones who are at a disadvantage. The two values that motivate me to chase the urge is focusing on the vision and being devout to it. From the small goals to large, helping a peer find community at UW or educating communities of the resources they have in fighting social injustices, any goal and any magnitudes motivates me, but the sole goal that motivates me is to have helped someone find what passions and goals motivates them.
What I have in stored for the future!
The #1 answer and go to response to this question is: I am going to be a leader in the community, whether by taking a leadership role or through various services. My voice, my persona, and my image will be known throughout communities as one that can be relied on to provide support and guidance. My passion to help others find their passion and motivation will influence the position I see myself in the future, which is currently looking towards higher education advising and mentoring or clinical social work. There may even be a chance you’ll see me campaign for an elected position. For now, keep your eyes peeled as I’ll be raising my voice with my last moments at the University of Washington.